Improvement in thrashing-machines



F. W. ROBINSON.

Improvement in Th rashing-Machimes.

No.126g492.

Patented May 7,1872.

N\TN.%%ES. INVENTOR.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS W. ROBINSON, OF RICHMOND, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN THRASHING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 126,492, dated May '7,1872.

I, FRANCIS W. ROBINSON, of the city of Richmond, State of Indiana, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Thrashing-Machines, of which thefollowing is a specification:

My invention relates, first, to the mechanism whereby the grain ismeasured, and the measuring registered as it is drawn from thereceptacle into the sacks; second, to the mechanism for conveying thecleaned grain, as it falls from the riddles, up into the receptacle;third, to the manner of connecting the upper section of the foldingstacker to the lower section thereof, whereby objections resulting frompermanently hinging said sections together are obviated, as hereinaftermentioned; fourth, to a hinged section for separating the chaff from thestraw; and, fifth, to a picker for loosening the straw, and thereby morethoroughly separating the grain therefrom.

In the drawing, Figure l is a perspective view of the rearportion of athrashing-machine. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3represents the adjacent ends of the two sections of the stacker; andFig. 4 is a section of the rear of the machine in a tilted position.

The same letters in the d ifferent figures refer to corresponding parts.

A represents the receptacle for the cleaned grain. in which the latteris measured. B is the conveyer-spout, in which the grain is carried upinto receptacle A. Abelt and buckets are usually employed for carryingthe grain up into the receptacle, but inasmuch as the buckets are liableto become choked or fail to properly discharge the grain, I havesubstituted, as an improvement thereon, a screw-conveyer, (J. The latteris operated by means of a bevelgear on its upper end and on a shaftlocated in the top of receptacle A, upon which shaft pulleyD is placed,motion being communicated to the latter by means of a belt driven in theusual manner. H represents the screw-conveyer, by means of which thecleaned grain, as it falls from the riddles, is discharged into spout B.The measuring devices consist of the slides 01 and e.

Heretofore, when a register has been used, the two slides or valves havebeen connected together by a lever, so that when one was opened theother was closed at the same time; or a plug has been used, as the lowervalve,

which occupies considerable of the space on the inside of thereceptacle-these methods being objectionable, as hereinafter mentioned.

I have found it desirable to so construct these measuring andregistering devices that the slides or valves may be operatedindependently of each other, while, at the same time, accurateregistering is insured.

The objection to the methods mentioned as in use for measuring is that,in starting or stopping the machine, more or less chaff and straw arecarried into the receptacle, which cannot readily be dischargedtherefrom. With my arrangement, in which the slides or valves operateindependently, both may be drawn out, thus allowing the straw and chaffto pass directly through the receptacle.

As a means of operating the registeringwheel or plate, I use a bar, b,moving in staples h and h. The bar b has a projection on its under side,which engages with the teeth of register a, and thereby operates thelatter. The end of bar I) is bent, so as to be inserted into the end ofthe upper slide d, and is thus moved back and forth as said slide isopened and closed. Thus each operation of closing the slide moves theregister one tooth.

The operation of measuring by means of the two slides is so well knownand apparent that no further description of the same is necessary.

Folding hinged stackcrs, in which the two sections of the stacker arepermanently hinged together, are in common use, but are objectionable inview of the fact that the accumulation of straw beneath the stackerusually prevents folding when it is desirable to remove the machine tosome other field of operation without first drawing the machine awayfrom the location in which the thrashing was done.

The method I have adopted for connecting the two sections of the stackerconsists in usinga detachable hinge, by means of which the upper sectionmay be disconnected from the lower, and brought back beneath the latter,where it is secured in position for transportation. D represents thelower section of the stacker, and B the upper section. On the lowercorners of the upper end of section D are secured slotted ears 6, whichare projecting portions of plates secured to the sides of said section.At each end of the upper section B are plates, provided with pivots, soarranged that said pivots may rest in the slotted ears.

To extend the stacker for use, pivots u, which are on the lower cornersof section B, are placed in the slotted ears, and the outer end of saidsection is raised until brought into line with the lower section, inwhich position it is held by means of springcatches J and I, the latterautomatically engaging with each other as they are brought together.When it is desirable to place the stacker in position for transportationthe catches are disengaged and the upper end of section B is lowereduntil it comes in contact with the straw-stack. The said section Bisthen detached atthe hinge, and is slid or folded underneath sectionI), the pivots r at the outer end of section B being brought into theslotted ears while the lower end of said section is scared by hooks I,thus holding section B against the under side of section D, as shown.The catches J, in order that they may be sutfieiently flexible, arepivoted centrally to the sides of the section, the lower ends engagingwith rubber springs n in the metal pockets m. K, Fig. 4, represents ahinged section in the lower section D of the stacker. Section K ishinged at the upper side, and is held closed by means of a button, 9.The purpose of said section K is that, when desirable, it may be opened.thus allowing the chaff to fall through beneath the stacker, while thestraw is carried on to the stack.

N, Fig. 1,represents a straw-picker, consisting ofajournaled shaft andcurved teeth or arms. This device is located opposite or near the upperend of the first endless belt or graincarrier, from which it receivesthe straw, picking and loosening it, and thereby more thoroughlyseparating it from the grain. The picker is made to turn, by means ofsuitable mechanism, toward the rear, so that the outside of the curve ofthe teeth receives the straw, thus throwing the latter upward and onwardto the rear, and preventing it from winding around the shaft. The pickermay be located at other points in the machine, it desirable and theconstruction of the machine will allow it. For instance, it may beplaced just in the rear of the concave, and throw the straw onto thefirst carrier when the latter is sufficiently below said concave to giveroom therefor. The teeth of the picker N, being curved or inclinedbackward from radial lines, serve to prevent the straw from windingabout the picker-shaft, as would be the case if the teeth were straightand in radial lines--a bar across the points of the teeth beingnecessitated in the latter case-which prevents the teeth from enteringthe straw, thereby destroying the effieiency of said picker. The strawbeing carried over the picker, accomplishes the desired object better,and obviates the objection found in pickers operating on top of thestraw, in which case some of the straw is liable to be forced throughthe carrier when used over the open carrier.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The folding straw-stacker, consisting of the sections D B, whenprovided with the detachable hinges e u and spring-catches J, or theequivalent of the latter, substantially as described, and for thepurpose set forth.

2. In combination with the grain-receptacle A, the slide-valve d, bar b,and register a, constructed and arranged substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

F. W. ROBINSON. Witnesses:

JOSEPH RIDGE, Bonner H. SHOEMAKER.

